Hi, I'm James Wall, General Manager of James Wall Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

Thank you for visiting our web site.

James Wall Plumbing Heating & Cooling has been in business in Winnipeg since 1983. I am a committed member of the Winnipeg community, and all of our staff takes our professional responsibility very seriously. We are totally committed to every one of our customers and provide them with the guaranteed peace-of-mind and professional service you should expect from a company that comes into your home. Our motto is "BETTER, CLEANER, FASTER", and we believe that our commitment to excellence makes us second to none in the Winnipeg, MB area.

An example of how seriously we take our responsibility to you is this web site. We are striving daily to make this the most informative and educational site in our industry. We want to make sure that all of your questions are answered, and this is just one of the many ways in which we do that.

If you have a need to have your home Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning equipment, (hereon referred to as HVAC), repaired or replaced, and you want to learn more about the most expensive investment you have in your house, then I believe what follows will be informative, helpful and prove to be an invaluable guide.

Your HVAC system is, an investment. The most expensive appliance in your house…not only in $$$$, but even more so an investment in:

• Your families health
• Your families comfort
• Protection of your home and furnishings
• Having the lowest possible utility bills
• Your 'Peace of Mind'

That is the purpose of this guide. Whether you need service…a major repair…a new unit…or just to have your HVAC system tuned up to achieve maximum efficiency, we want to help you make your investment as profitable as possible. Take a few minutes to read it, and when you're finished, if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us.

As you can tell just by browsing through the phone book, there are more HVAC companies that you could even care to count. How can you begin to tell one company from another? How can you possibly know which one to call?

I'll give you some specific guidelines a little later on.

If HVAC equipment could be wheeled into your house like a TV and "plugged" into a convenient outlet, then you could easily decide on a brand and model. Shopping by "price" would make sense because you could simply choose which company could plug it in for the cheapest price.

Installing an HVAC system is far more complicated than just plugging it in. If you were shopping for a car, once you decide on a brand and model, then you can shop around for a bargain at the many dealerships as you do not have to worry about the quality of car relative to the dealership as the cars themselves are physically manufactured in the same place.

But what if every car dealer had to assemble the cars themselves? Build them from scratch from boxes containing thousands of parts. Two doors, four doors, a variety of colours and upholstery. Isn't it possible that there might be a difference in quality from one dealership to the next?

And then suppose that you phoned around and asked about price, and some of the other dealers were advertising claims like" we won't be undersold" or "lower than invoice". Do you suppose that some dealers might start using a cheaper paint, or maybe use fewer nuts and bolts, so that they could reduce their labour and material costs? Wouldn't they have to cut costs to lower their price to ensure the sale? Who would ever know?

That is one reason why, even if you know the brand and size of HVAC equipment you need, prices from one contractor to another can vary by $1000 or more! And if one contractor sells the same system for $1000 less than another, it might be just possible that they are "cutting corners" to make their price lower. If they are, you can bet their "corner cutting" will not make the system more efficient.

There are so many ways to cut corners that it is nearly impossible to list them all. If someone did not tell you about them, you'd never know any better until it is too late. Some of the items that can be ignored (either by intent or by ignorance) are incredibly important, not only for your comfort, but also for the safety and health of your family…all in the name of having a "cheaper price".

For example, Winnipeg and Manitoba have specific codes and regulations concerning the installation of HVAC equipment. Codes about electrical switches and connections, gas piping and safety controls, flue pipes brought up to code including types of materials, size and clearances. How many of them are you familiar with? That is why you hire a professional to do the work for you, and why you need to be able to trust that person doing your service knows all those codes. One way some contractors cut corners is by not strictly following these codes This is just one way an estimate can be lowered and why prices for the same product or repair can range dramatically.

Now you might think that the city inspectors would make sure everything is correct. But many contractors "forget" to take out permits (a burdensome expense when you are trying to be the cheapest). Don't assume that all codes will be met, or that all permits will be pulled.

Other items can also be overlooked that are not subject to inspection and will eventually cost you money and inconvenience if not installed properly are:

• Gas pressure not adjusted in your new furnace,
• improper evacuation and charging of refrigerant lines,
• poorly calibrated airflow through your system.

As a consumer, you really have no idea what is needed, so you really are at the mercy of your contractor. This is what I mean when I say, "find a contractor you can trust".

Space and time prohibit trying to explain the dozens of combinations of components that can make up a system. I will explain just one - the most common system used in a residence. It's called a "split" system and it is found in your air conditioning system.

It is called a "split" system because the three major components are located in two different areas and are connected with copper refrigerant lines. The outside section, (called a condensing unit), and the inside section, consisting of a furnace and an evaporator coil.

Because you can come up with dozens of combinations of these three components from any one brand alone, the importance of finding a contractor you can trust again manifests itself. If the condensing unit, evaporator coil, furnace and ductwork are not all designed to match each other, the rated efficiency will not be achieved, the equipment will suffer, and so will your comfort.

Once you start the interview process and meeting with different consultants, you will be amazed at how many different combinations and brands are offered. Remember, it does not really matter what brand is offered as long as it is installed correctly. Of course, the top quality brand names will usually last longer, but nothing impacts the life and efficiency of a system more than the installation process.

Most of the problems that arise after you purchase a system, including shortened equipment lifer, and are nearly always caused by improper sizing and/or the improper installation. A lot of the differences in price are installation related. It just costs more to do it right!

When you start getting prices, you're going to hear a lot about SEER's, AFUE, and efficiency ratings in general. And they are very important, but remember this, ratings do not mean a thing unless the system is properly matched and installed.

You can put the best sport tires available on your new Ford pick up truck, and while the tires and the truck would each be rated very highly each by themselves, the very characteristics that make them the best in their class mean that they will not work well together. So instead of being obsessed with brands and prices, here are the priorities that will ensure long term value, comfort and peace of mind.

1. Quality Installation: If equipment is not installed properly, using materials that exceed code requirements, performance and durability will suffer.
2. Properly Sized Equipment: A quality contractor will always perform a proper heating and cooling load calculation in your home. Without this step, no one can accurately size a piece of equipment to your home. This can radically affect the life of the equipment, and cause significantly higher utility bills if a piece of equipment is not properly sized.
3. Comfort Issues: What does comfort mean to you? Temperature, air quality, and noise levels are important considerations. Try to alleviate any hot or cold spots in your home, and stop potential comfort issues at the design phase of the installation. This is what you are buying, home comfort.
4. Guarantees vs. Warranties: Guarantees are provided by your installer. Warranties are provided by the manufacturer or an insurance company. When something goes wrong though, you probably will call your installing contractor. Will they be able to honour all of your warranties and meet your long term needs?
5. Brand Quality: Some manufacturers have a reputation for high quality long lasting equipment.
6. Efficiency: Match the efficiency of your new equipment to the requirements of your home.
7. Warranties: Good warranties are a sign of a contractors and a manufacturers confidence in a piece of equipment.
8. Price: Decide what value you place on the trouble free operation of your new HVAC equipment, and on your total home comfort.

If you take the time to learn and discover the answers to the first four priorities, the next four will almost take care of themselves. Anyone disappointed that their new HVAC system did not solve their comfort problems, savings on their utility bills, or durability, are probably disappointed due to a poor installation.

Everything I have talked about in this report has a bearing on the price you will pay. Size, efficiency, accessories, permits, quality, warranties, guarantees, and training. They all affect the cost.

I should tell you up front that in over twenty years of being in business, we have never used the words "lowest prices anywhere" or "cheapest rates", and if that is whatl you are looking for, we may not be the company for you. But if professionalism, skill, quality and long term peace of mind are important to you, then you should consider using James Wall Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

When you call a contractor for an estimate they are not going to say "we're the cheapest in town…because we cut more corners!" You see, they don't have to justify a "cheap price" because to most people a cheap price is good. Everyone gets excited when they get a cheap price, but not many of us ask "how come you are cheaper" but maybe, from now on, you should.

A thing unknown to most people is that the cost of equipment to the contractor…from the highest priced manufacturers to the lowest, is usually no more than $200 to $500. If this is the case, then why are the prices from one dealer to another all over the place?

There are only three or four ways for a company to have a lower price.
(1)Do less work
(2)Spend less time
(3)Use lower grade materials
(4)Pay the technician less money.

Here are several things to keep in mind when choosing a quality contractor.

• Pay close attention to the way they answer their phones. Are their representatives courteous, friendly, helpful. Remember, you are choosing a company you will be dealing with for a very long time.
• Visit their place of business. Ask if you can come by their offices and look around. What better way to see the quality of an organization than by seeing the way that they live in their own workplace. If they treat their offices poorly, what would lead you too believe that they will treat your home any better.
• Is their organization modernized? Radio, computer dispatching, service history, multiple phone lines, live telephone answering after hours?
• Let their comfort consultant show you what they can and will do, and then get it in writing. If it is not written down, then it probably won't happen!
• What literature have they provided you? How much of it has been about brand names, models and prices? Only about 20%? If the comfort consultant spends 80% of their time extolling the virtues of brand names and low prices, what does that say to you about the quality of their installations or people, or supplying you with the solutions to the comfort problems in your home, or providing you with the guaranteed peace of mind you are looking for?

Here is something interesting about warranties that most people don't know. No manufacturer gives a warranty on the labour involved in an installation. That goes to the installer, and manufacturers don't have any control over who installs their equipment.

You will receive a 1 year labour warranty with your new installation because most major manufacturers require the dealer to sign an agreement to provide a 1 year labour warranty. However, the dealer is reimbursed by the manufacturer for the parts only. That means that the labour to replace a defective part comes out of the installing contractors pocket.

A lot of companies, (especially smaller ones) don't add a reserve to their price. They want to sell everything as cheap as they can, but when equipment fails under warranty, it is the customer who usually has to endure longer waits and shoddier service because the dealer has to take care of the paying customers first.

Be especially careful when the consultant starts talking about warranties. It is very easy for them to say that you are getting a 5 year, 10 year, 20 year or even lifetime warranty, and then just gloss over the fact that the terrific sounding warranty is for parts only. Is it any wonder then that after nearly a quarter century of being in business, we cannot stress enough the importance of choosing a contractor you can trust?

You can purchase extended warranties that cover parts and labour for 5 or 10 years. The key word here is purchase. This is not the standard warranty that comes with the equipment. It is actually an insurance policy, that we as reputable dealers purchase from a major insurer. Usually costing between $200 and $500, it is usually well worth the cost for this extra protection.

Some companies offer preventative maintenance programs. I strongly recommend taking advantage of these affordable programs. Nothing could be better for your home comfort system than to have it tuned up and inspected once annually. It is like an oil change for your car. The only way to keep things in peak operating condition is to maintain them well. Longer life, lower utility bills, and peace of mind are just a few benefits of having your new system maintained by a professional.

Am I saying that the highest price is always the best bargain? No, not necessarily. All I really want convey to you is that when you purchase a HVAC system for your home, part of what you are buying is a long term relationship with a company. Make sure that the company you choose to allow into your home and determine your long term comfort is the right company for you. No matter who you choose to deal with, you are going to make a substantial investment both in money, and in trust. An investment that can affect both your families' health and your pocketbook. Do your own research, and choose wisely.

Feel free to contact us anytime with your questions or feedback, or to arrange for your free in home consultation.